The search continues for a new vice chancellor for inclusive strategy and chief of staff. The second of the three forums was held on Dec. 12 for candidate Robin Parent. Parent’s forum was originally planned for Dec. 9 but had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather.
According to the job description posted on the CU Careers website, the vice chancellor for inclusive strategy and chief of staff will be acting as a campus-wide resource for advancing the university’s mission and inclusive strategic goals. As it is an inaugural position, the person selected will shape the future of the department. The position will be paid an annual salary of $160,000-$200,000.
The new position is part of a merger that UCCS started during the summer to save an estimate of $400,000 a year, according to previous Scribe reporting.
Parent serves as the associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion and STEM education at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, where she works closely with senior leaders to better the equity, accessibility and integrity of higher education institutions.
At APLU, Parent coordinates grants like the $13 million National Science Foundation (NSF) award, where she prioritizes assuring that the recipients for each grant are from different backgrounds.
Parent also served as the director of student engagement of the Davidson Honors College at the University of Montana and was the inclusive excellence instruction specialist in the center for teaching, learning and technology at California Polytechnic State University.
If selected, Parent plans to bring her framework of change management to UCCS. The framework she created includes a cycle of a common agenda, a strong backbone, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities and continuous communication.
“These strategies are intended to span across the university setting and engage people in inclusive transformation,” Parent said.
Beyond change management, Parent says her biggest strength is in coalition building, which she attributes her success in to the NSF grant and its ability to bring together individuals from very different spaces.
“When we talk about being inclusive in transformational spaces, it means we have to really look at our practices and policies that bring all these individuals together, ensuring that we aren’t inadvertently creating any barriers,” Parent said.
The search committee is accepting feedback forms for each candidate. The forms are due on Dec. 17 by 5 p.m. and will inform the committee’s decision.
The final forum for candidate Bettina Moore will be Dec. 13 from 3-4 p.m. in UC 303 or via livestream.
This article is the second edition of a three-part series for the Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Strategy and Chief of Staff forums. Click here for the first article about candidate Alphonso Atkins Jr. and here for the final article about candidate Bettina Moore.
Robin Parent. Photo courtesy of APLU.